South Korea: In the midst of omicron woes, South Korea announces 6,769 new Covid cases. On Friday, the number of daily coronavirus infections in South Korea remained above 6,000 for the second day in a row, raising fears about the spread of the omicron variant ahead of the Lunar New Year vacation.
According to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, the country added 6,769 new Covid-19 infections, including 6,482 local infections, bringing the overall caseload to 719,269 cases (KDCA).
As many people travel for family reunions during the Lunar New Year holiday, which begins late this month, health officials are on high alert for a possible surge in diseases.
After hovering below 6,000 since December 24, when it stood at 6,233, the daily caseload soared to over 6,000 for the first time in 27 days on Thursday. On Friday, 431 critically ill Covid-19 patients were counted. The country reported 21 Covid-19 deaths, bringing the total number of people killed to 6,501. A death rate of 0.90 percent was recorded.There were 287 imported cases, bringing the total number of imported cases to 22,836.
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